Radio România Internațional

Tag: plan

  • Budget deficit reduction plan

    Budget deficit reduction plan

    By October 15, Romania should present the European Commission with a plan to reduce budget deficit, by October 15.

     

    Rating agencies, economists and analysts alike are signaling the excessive budget deficit, which could reach 8% of Romania’s GDP this year. European Union member states have to submit a deficit reduction plan to the Commission, by October 15 . Romania is among the countries that have not done so yet, but the Social-Liberal Government in Bucharest has promised to observe the deadline and present the 7-year plan to bring the deficit back within the limits accepted by the Union. The Romanian Minister of European Investments and Projects, Adrian Câciu: “This 7-year plan comes with a series of reforms which should not surprise anyone. They are included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It is just an active calendar for those reforms to be conducted. From what I know and from what will happen – I hope it will happen, because I think we are a coalition of responsible people – by October 15 this plan will be submitted to the Coalition, approved and sent to the Commission. It is, after all, a general plan. It is the first assessment that we are sending, after which there will obviously be technical negotiations with the Commission, which may last until April 2025, when the Commission makes the last adjustment in the case of all member states. Romania is not the only country that is in an Excessive Deficit Procedure.”

     

    The most important fiscal-budgetary consolidation measures are those of reducing expenditure and, at the same time, further improving  collection to the state budget, following digitization,  Minister Câciu said. According to him, the reduction of unnecessary expenses in the area of ​​large public services must be continued, where the institutions need reform and quality increase. On the other hand, the digitization of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), must bring not only 0.5% of the GDP in recovered revenues , but  2% or 3% next year, Adrian Câciu said. Romania, the Minister explained, needs a 7-year deficit reduction plan, agreed on with the European Commission, given that it has very high investment-related expenses, which, in his opinion, nobody wants to postpone or cancel.

     

    The Bucharest Government has recently carried out the first budget revision this year, a positive one. It was based on a budget deficit of 6.9% of the GDP and a revised economic growth, from 3.4% previously estimated, to 2.8%. The Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, said on that occasion that additional funds had been allocated to the large investment projects, a leitmotif in the authorities’ speech. Boloş too, supported by his boss, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, gave assurances that the deficit was sustainable.

  • The Week in Review 16-20.09.2024

    The Week in Review 16-20.09.2024

    Aid for victims

     

    Like the authorities in several European states, the Romanian authorities have also been on alert this week, after the severe floods that hit eastern Romania. Refugee camps have been set up and rescue operations have been organized following the floods that killed seven people and destroyed thousands of homes. A crisis cell was organized at the Health Ministry to provide medical assistance to the residents of Galaţi and Vaslui counties, the most affected by the floods. The Interior and Defense Ministries have mobilized hundreds of firefighters, gendarmes, soldiers, as well as equipment to help evacuate the victims and intervene in the restoration of the infrastructure destroyed by the waters. Camps with capacities of hundreds of places were set up in the most affected localities. And the Romanian Red Cross launched a disaster relief campaign and sent trucks with water and food to the area. The Romanian Government also allocated food and water and approved the removal from state reserves of some modular buildings where children can learn. It also approved, in the special meeting on Monday, emergency aid for the affected families. The Romanian authorities continue to promise support for the affected population. And the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a 10-billion-Euro worth of aid from the EU Cohesion Fund for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania, affected by floods.

     

    Supreme Council for National Defense meeting in Bucharest

     

    A meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) took place in Bucharest on Thursday. The war in neighboring Ukraine, the endowment of the Army in the next ten years, as well as the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the Republic of Moldova were among the main topics of discussion. The CSAT members stated that Romania is directly interested in having industrial capacities on its territory that can ensure both the production of modern military equipment for equipping the force structure in peacetime, as well as the development of new equipment for multiplying military capabilities in crisis or war situations. Given the recent developments in the neighboring country, the CSAT members discussed additional measures to deter and combat security threats, to be implemented at the national level, as well as with the support of NATO allies. On the other hand, Romania reiterated its support for Moldova’s European path by supporting the implementation of reforms and the necessary public policies.

     

    B9 meeting in Bucharest

     

    NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the airspace of its member countries, in the context of the war in Ukraine, says the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest of the defense ministers from the allied states on NATO’s eastern flank, the Romanian official said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying due to the threats generated by the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, including through disinformation and cyber-attacks.

    Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of the Russian Federation drones and missiles into the NATO airspace in Poland, Romania, Latvia, as well as about the escalation of tensions along NATO’s borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at the allied level is necessary, as well as the implementation as soon as possible of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

    Also on Wednesday, in Bucharest, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha asked Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down the Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his counterpart Luminiţa Odobescu, he appreciated the support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence through Romania’s decision to donate a Patriot system. The Romanian FM reaffirmed Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

     

    Roxana Mânzatu, vice-president of the European Commission

     

    Romania has, for the first time, a position of vice-president of the European Commission, which will be occupied by the social-democratic MEP Roxana Mînzatu, a former minister of investments and European projects in Bucharest. The announcement was made by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who presented, on Tuesday, the makeup of the new EC. Roxana Mînzatu will also hold, in Brussels, the position of commissioner for Skills and Education, Jobs, Social Rights and Demography. She declared that the field received by Romania, in this case the labor market, is essential for the competitiveness of the EU. After the nomination, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has said that, in this way, Romania becomes part of decision-making in the European Union.

     

    National plan for large industry

     

    The governing coalition in Bucharest decided on Tuesday to complete as quickly as possible the support scheme for the large strategic investments in the manufacturing industry and in metallurgy, steel and the chemical industry. According to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the plan has three main components: a state aid of 500 million Euros and tax facilities for investments of over 150 million Euros, another state aid of one billion Euros for six years for the decarbonization of production processes and energy efficiency and a third aid of about 250 million Euros for 15 companies that implement investments in the production of industrial raw materials.

     

    Partnership for the prevention of child trafficking

     

    The Romanian and American governments have signed a framework partnership in the field of child protection, intended to unfold over a period of five years. The US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, has given assurances that the United States will support Romania in its efforts to develop a victim-centered prevention strategy, to increase protection for children who are victims of trafficking and to improve its investigations. In turn, the Romanian Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, has said that the signing of the partnership is a continuation of other collaborations and shows the determination of the Romanian authorities to combat child abuse in any form. Romania is the first country in Europe that will benefit from American financial support worth 10 million dollars for the improvement of the national system for preventing and combating child trafficking. (LS)

  • October 29, 2023 UPDATE

    October 29, 2023 UPDATE

    PARLIAMENT The Chamber of Deputies will discuss on
    Monday the simple motion tabled by Save Romania Union and the Force of the
    Right, in opposition in Romania, against the finance minister Marcel Boloş. The
    Opposition argues that the enforcement of the new fiscal measures for which the
    Government has taken responsibility before Parliament, will lead to tax
    increases. The USR MP Claudiu Năsui says the Liberal finance minister chose to
    triple taxes instead of cutting special pensions and to levy taxes on turnover,
    which he believes will have countless negative effects on companies and
    ultimately on consumers. The Chamber will vote on the motion on Tuesday. Also
    early this week, the Senate will vote on a government emergency order
    regulating the gambling sector. The document, which introduces an additional
    tax for companies in the sector, has been passed by specialist committees. The
    Senate is also to discuss a bill tabled by the Social Democratic MP Alfred
    Simonis and banning the sale of electronic cigarettes and similar tobacco
    products to minors.


    SCHENGEN The Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac, the leader of the People’s
    Movement Party, announced plans to appeal the EU Tribunal ruling dismissing his
    claims regarding Austria’s alleged abuse of power with respect to Romania’s
    Schengen accession. He said he would take the matter to the Court of Justice of
    the European Union, and voiced hopes that the judges would approach the issue in
    a more complex and more detailed manner, in line with the EU treaties and the
    Schengen agreements. Moreover, Tomac said, Bucharest can only overcome the situation
    by means of this appeal, in which the Romanian government would be a privileged
    applicant. Austria opposes the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria,
    arguing that the 2 countries are on the EU illegal migration route, an
    allegation disputed by the Romanian authorities and European institutions.
    Vienna also believes the Schengen area as it is at present is ineffective and
    said it would oppose any enlargement project.


    VISIT
    The European Commission vice-president for Values and Transparency, Věra
    Jourová, will be on an official visit to Romania on Monday, when she will have
    meetings with president Klaus Iohannis, PM Marcel Ciolacu and other Cabinet
    members. According to the European Commission, the EU official will discuss the
    rule of law and reforms in the judiciary, Romania’s goals in the digital
    decade, the digitisation projects included in the National Recovery and
    Resilience Plan, as well as AI and fighting disinformation.


    ISRAEL
    The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the British
    PM Rishi Sunak emphasised, in a phone discussion on Sunday, the need for urgent
    humanitarian support in Gaza Strip, after Israel announced stepping up its
    military response to the Hamas attack of October 7. In turn, the US security
    adviser called on the troops entering Gaza to make a distinction between
    civilians and the Hamas terrorists, who are legitimate targets. Israel
    announced that in the coming days it would allow a significant increase in aid
    for the civilians in Gaza. The Israeli defence ministry asked Palestinian
    civilians to move towards the south, to an area designated as humanitarian, where
    aid will be delivered under a joint mechanism created by the US, Egypt and the
    UN. Two aid convoys with foodstuffs, water and medicines entered the Rafah
    terminal on Saturday night and Sunday morning. The UN secretary general,
    Antonio Guterres, voiced his surprise at the escalation of Israel’s military
    attack on the Gaza Strip after the UN General Assembly issued a resolution
    calling for immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian
    rallies were organised on Sunday as well in many cities in the world.


    PEACE
    The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending a meeting in Malta,
    called for a global model based on his 10-point plan for peace with Russia, Reuters
    reports. An official list of the participants in the meeting is not yet
    available, but attending were officials for European, South-American, Arab,
    African and Asian countries. The plan includes clauses concerning the
    restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the pull-out of Russian troops,
    protection of food and energy supplies, nuclear security and the release of all
    prisoners. The co-chairs of the meeting, Ukraine and Malta, issued a joint
    declaration that mentions the participants’ commitment to just and sustainable
    peace, based on the UN Charter. The parties will take steps to arrange for a
    possible peace summit at a later date.


    GOVERNMENT PM Marcel Ciolacu announced that preparations have
    started for drafting the 2024 public budget. The government will analyse the projects
    and programmes that went well, as well as the investment applications for next
    year. On the other hand, the PM dismissed the idea of other fiscal changes in
    addition to the ones for which his Cabinet has taken responsibility before
    Parliament. The law on measures to ensure Romania’s long-term financial
    sustainability, promulgated by presidentKlaus Iohannis on Thursday, introduces new taxes and tax raises and cuts off tax facilities. Some
    of the measures take effect on November 1, while the others will be enforced as
    of January 1. Marcel Ciolacu also estimated that the new pensions law will be
    endorsed in Parliament by the end of next month and will take effect on January
    1, 2024. (AMP)

  • December 12, 2022 UPDATE

    December 12, 2022 UPDATE

    TALKS The vote in the JHA
    Council is very problematic for all of us in Romania. I was disappointed and
    upset following this vote, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on
    Monday, after receiving the president of the Swiss
    Confederation Ignazio Cassis in Bucharest. The Romanian president added that he
    would most certainly raise the issue of Romania’s denied Schengen bid at the
    meeting of the European Council due on December 15. Romania should be a part of
    Schengen, the Swiss president said in his turn. The 2
    officials discussed bilateral relations and economic cooperation, with an emphasis
    on boosting investments and identifying new areas of cooperation, and exchanged
    views on the latest international developments, including the war in Ukraine
    and its implications for the energy market and global security.


    FUNDING Romania’s PM Nicolae Ciucă Monday requested all ministries
    and coordinating institutions to give maximum priority to completing the 51 benchmarks
    and targets in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan related to the second
    payment request, amounting to EUR 2.8 bln, which Romania is scheduled to submit
    to the European Commission this month. This amount adds to the EUR 3.7 bln pre-financing
    amount and to a first EUR 2.6 bln instalment already cashed in by Romania. We
    cannot afford to deviate from our commitments, because a lot of elements
    related to reform processes, investments and even economic stability depend on
    us accessing this money, the PM said at a meeting of the inter-ministry
    Committee Coordinating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Committee
    also reviewed the progress with respect to the 55 targets and benchmarks due
    for the 3rd and 4th quarters of this year, related to the
    3rd payment request that Romania is scheduled to submit to the EC
    this spring.


    BUDGET In Bucharest, Parliament’s specialist committees Monday approved
    the draft budgets of several ministries. The education, transport, development
    and defence ministries will have higher budgets next year, while the energy,
    justice and healthcare ministries will receive less money in 2023. The ruling
    coalition said the budget bill is based on record high investments and accounts
    for 7.2% of GDP. It takes into account an economic growth rate of 2.8% of GDP,
    an annual inflation rate of 8%, a growing number of people in employment and a
    lower unemployment rate of 2.7%. The opposition has criticised the budget bill.
    Both the power and the opposition have submitted amendments. The final vote is
    due on Thursday.


    MOTION Save Romania Union in
    opposition Monday tabled a simple motion against the interior minister Lucian
    Bode, whom they see as responsible for Romania’s failure to join the Schengen free-movement
    area. According to the party, Bode shares this responsibility with the
    president Klaus Iohannis, with the parliamentary majority and the diplomacy in Bucharest.
    USR also invited the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu to give Parliament
    explanations on this topic. Several EU member states voiced their
    disappointment with the denial of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession bids.
    Moreover, the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, said this would
    be a priority of her term in office.



    EU European democracy is under attack, the head of the European
    Parliament Roberta Metsola said on Monday, voicing her outrage and sadness following
    allegations of corruption in the European Parliament in relation to Qatar. In
    turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, Monday
    called for EU institutions to be governed by the highest standards of
    independence and integrity. The EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep
    Borrell described the EP corruption allegations as being of the utmost
    concern. Eva Kaili, a vice-president of the European parliament from Greece, and
    3 other individuals were detained and charged in Belgium in an international corruption
    investigation related to Qatar. The 4 were charged with participation in a criminal
    organisation, money laundering and corruption.


    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu took part on Monday in Brussels in an informal meeting concerning the future of the Eastern
    Partnership, organised at the initiative of Minister Aurescu and his counterparts
    from Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and in a meeting of the Eastern Partnership
    foreign ministers    . In
    his addresses, Bogdan Aurescu pleaded for revitalising the Eastern Partnership
    and for adapting it to the new regional context, and reiterated Romania’s firm
    and continuing support for it. He argued that the Eastern Partnership can make
    a significant contribution to strengthening the stability, security and
    prosperity in the Eastern Neighbourhood, by consolidating regional cooperation,
    the security and resilience of partners and through an adequate joint response to
    the challenges facing the region. Mr. Aurescu also emphasised that in the new
    context generated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a more robust
    and more efficient security dimension of the Eastern Partnership is necessary.



    MEETING The Romanian justice minister, Cătălin
    Predoiu, had a meeting on Monday in Luxembourg with the head of the European
    Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Laura Codruţa Kovesi. According to the
    Romanian justice ministry, the 2 officials discussed the protection of the EU’s
    financial interests, the EPPO human resources issue and the broadening of the
    Office’s powers to include the prosecution of breaches of EU sanctions. I am
    confidence that an in-depth dialogue with the EPPO may lead to ideas and
    solutions to make the cooperation between national and EPPO prosecutors more
    efficient. After all, they all fight crime, which affects both the interests of
    the EU and the national interests of member states, Catalin Predoiu said. (AMP)

  • Le Plan d’action pour la Jeunesse

    Le Plan d’action pour la Jeunesse

    C’est dans le cadre de l’action extérieure
    de l’UE pour la période 2022-2027 que la Commission européenne vient d’adopter
    au début du mois d’octobre son Plan d’action pour la Jeunesse, tout premier
    cadre d’action pour un partenariat stratégique avec les jeunes du monde entier
    en vue de construire un avenir plus résilient, plus inclusif et plus durable.
    Le plan, réalisé à l’issue d’un processus largement compréhensif de
    consultations publiques impliquant plus de 220 acteurs intéressés par la
    question, dont des organisations de jeunesse et des associations qui luttent
    pour la défense des droits de l’enfant, entend répondre aux attentes des jeunes
    d’être partie prenante dans les processus d’élaboration des politiques
    européennes et de prises des décisions au niveau de l’UE. M. Josep Borrell,
    haut représentant de l’Union européenne pour les affaires étrangères et la
    politique de sécurité et vice-président de la Commission européenne s’est
    exprimé en ces termes : « Le monde compte aujourd’hui la plus importante
    génération de jeunes de l’histoire. Malheureusement, 600 millions de jeunes
    vivent dans des situations de conflit ou de fragilité et quelque 264 millions
    d’enfants et de jeunes ne sont pas scolarisés. Ces dernières années ont
    également montré que les jeunes sont les premières victimes des crises et de
    l’instabilité provoquées par les conflits armés, la montée des inégalités et
    les problèmes planétaires tels que le changement climatique, la dégradation de
    l’environnement ou la pandémie de COVID-19. Il est de notre responsabilité de
    faire en sorte que les jeunes disposent des outils et des possibilités dont ils
    ont besoin pour se réaliser pleinement et participer à la vie quotidienne. Ils
    sont les adultes de demain, nous devons investir dans leur présent et dans leur
    aveni    r ».


    Le Plan d’action entend renforcer
    les initiatives actuelles et lancer de nouvelles initiatives clefs, destinées aux
    jeunes du monde entier. Aussi, l’initiative « Jeunes et femmes en
    démocratie », dotée d’un budget de 40 millions d’euros, renforcera la voix
    et le leadership des jeunes, des jeunes militants et des organisations dirigées
    par des jeunes dans le monde entier, en renforçant leurs droits, leur
    autonomisation et leur participation aux affaires publiques et politiques Cette
    initiative soutiendra les organisations de terrain et les jeunes militants dans
    les domaines du contrôle des institutions, de la lutte contre la corruption, de
    la promotion des réformes démocratiques.


    Autre exemple : le Fonds
    pour l’autonomisation des jeunes, nouvelle initiative pilote dotée d’un budget
    de 10 millions d’euros, qui fournira un soutien financier direct aux
    initiatives dirigées par des jeunes dans les pays partenaires et axées sur la
    réalisation des objectifs de développement durable au niveau local, en
    particulier en ce qui concerne l’environnement et le changement climatique et
    l’inclusion des jeunes vulnérables et marginalisés. « Nous devons
    autonomiser les enfants et les jeunes du monde entier, faire en sorte de leur
    offrir des possibilités concrètes et encourager leur mobilisation effective, en
    veillant à ce que personne ne soit laissé pour compte », avait martelé Dubravka
    Šuica, vice-présidente de la Commission européenne chargée de la démocratie et
    de la démographie


    Le Plan d’action pour la jeunesse doit pouvoir
    traduire dans les faits l’engagement de l’UE de placer la jeunesse au centre de
    l’action communautaire pour le développement durable, l’égalité et la paix,
    offrir une tribune aux jeunes pour qu’ils puissent s’exprimer, pour qu’ils
    trouvent des solutions pour un meilleur avenir, avait à son tour affirmé Mme Jutta
    Urpilainen, commissaire aux partenariats internationaux :


    « Ce plan
    d’action pour la jeunesse constitue notre réponse aux demandes formulées par
    les jeunes. Pourquoi est-il si important ? D’abord, parce que les défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés, depuis le
    conflit et jusqu’aux changements climatiques, en passant par la crise de la
    Covid-19, a un énorme impact sur les enfants et les jeunes. Un seul exemple :
    plus de 260 millions d’enfants en âge de scolarité se trouvent aujourd’hui en situation
    d’abandon scolaire. Ensuite, seuls 10% des jeunesz à travers le monde vivent
    dans des pays à hauts revenus. Alors, pour répondre à ces défis, nous entendons
    donner la voix aux jeunes, leur offrir les instruments pour qu’ils soient
    capables de formuler de vraies solutions à ces défis, pour essayer de
    construire un avenir plus soucieux de l’environnement et plus pacifique. Mieux
    encore, c’est par l’intermédiaire de ce Plan d’action que nous entendons non
    seulement donner la voix aux jeunes, mais impliquer directement les jeunes à
    trouver des solutions et, aussi, les connecter entre eux. »


    Le plan d’action pour la jeunesse dans
    l’action extérieure de l’UE s’articule autour de trois piliers d’action, qui
    contribueront à définir le partenariat avec les jeunes dans les pays
    partenaires. Il s’agit tout d’abord, d’un partenariat visant à mobiliser :
    faire entendre davantage la voix des jeunes dans l’élaboration des politiques
    et la prise de décisions. Les jeunes revendiquent depuis longtemps une place à
    part dans l’élaboration des politiques publiques, dans la formulation des
    solutions pour le monde de demain. Et l’Union s’engage par ce Plan de soutenir
    et d’entendre cette voix des jeunes leaders, notamment des jeunes filles, des
    jeunes activistes, des mouvements de jeunesse.


    Le partenariat vise ensuite d’encourager l’autonomisation
    des jeunes, de lutter contre les inégalités et de doter les jeunes des
    compétences et des outils dont ils ont besoin pour se réaliser. Les jeunes ont
    les moyens d’agir lorsque leur voix est entendue et qu’il est remédié aux
    inégalités qui influent sur leur vie. L’UE continuera de soutenir la
    transformation de l’éducation à l’échelle mondiale, pour améliorer l’accès des
    jeunes aux possibilités économiques, renforcer leur capacité à contribuer au
    développement durable et à mener les transitions écologique et numérique
    partout dans le monde, ainsi que pour soutenir leur santé et leur bien-être
    physique et mental et leur accès à la santé et aux droits en matière de
    sexualité et de procréation. Par ailleurs, l’UE continuera d’accorder une
    attention particulière aux enfants et aux jeunes qui vivent dans des situations
    de conflit.


    Enfin, le partenariat vise à connecter, en
    multipliant les possibilités offertes aux jeunes de développer leurs réseaux et
    d’échanger avec leurs pairs du monde entier. Pour cela, l’UE entend promouvoir
    la mobilité de la jeunesse, les échanges de jeunes et le développement de
    réseaux de jeunesse. L’objectif est de garantir la diversité et l’inclusion,
    tout en accordant une attention particulière aux obstacles sociaux et
    économiques, à la fracture numérique et aux risques liés à la désinformation.


    (Trad. Ionut Jugureanu)

  • A National Anti-cancer Plan

    A National Anti-cancer Plan

    According to centralized
    data, cancer remains a major health issue at world level being among the main causes
    of premature deaths in people with ages between 30 and 69 in 134 countries,
    Romania included. However, authorities in this country have decided to do more
    for the prevention and treatment of this dreadful disease. An outcome of the
    cooperation between healthcare authorities, physicians – including in the
    private field – and patient associations, the National Plan for the Prevention
    and Combating Cancer is an initiative the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis kicked
    off eleven months ago.




    After passing through all
    the necessary stages, the law endorsing this plan, which is being implemented
    for the period between 2023 and 2030 has been promulgated by president Klaus
    Iohannis.




    Klaus Iohannis: We have the obligation to take action now on behalf
    of those who lost the battle with the illness and those who have been diagnosed
    with this terrible disease. There is remarkable medical progress,
    state-of-the-art technologies, which can turn cancer into a treatable disease.
    And the Romanians have a right to these present day innovations.




    Under the law, all the
    Romanian citizens, residing in Romania, citizens of the EU member countries as
    well as the foreigners and stateless individuals living or residing in Romania
    have a state-guaranteed right to medical and social services comprised by the
    National Plan for Preventing and Combating Cancer. These services include the
    prevention, investigation and treatment of cancer, access to care services,
    including palliative care, psycho-oncology and social services as well as to food
    subsidies.




    Romania is actually
    lining up to the European standards in the field. The move was all the more so
    necessary because statistical figures for Romania were quite alarming, as physician
    Dana Paun, presidential healthcare advisor told Radio Romania.




    Dana Paun: Cancer represents a major
    healthcare issue after cardiovascular diseases and for this reason we needed
    this plan, which comprises very clear objectives. For instance, national
    screening programmes have become operational. We have so far benefitted for
    funding from the Healthcare Ministry only for the uterine cancer, but they want
    to implement screening programmes for other types of cancer. At the same time
    there are plans for a national cancer registry for all the types of cancer
    affecting the Romanians. An inter-disciplinary approach is also under
    discussion as one patient cannot be treated by only one physician. You need a
    team of doctors to study the case and prescribe the treatment, surgery,
    radio-therapy, chemotherapy, so that the patient may benefit from the right
    treatment.




    And since a series of expensive
    innovative therapies have emerged
    and the National Insurance House is unable to cover these new types of
    treatment, there are plans for a healthcare innovation fund to provide the Romanian
    patients access to them.


    (bill)

  • November 2, 2022 UPDATE

    November 2, 2022 UPDATE

    Plan – President Klaus Iohannis signed, on Wednesday, in a ceremony that took place at the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, the decree for the promulgation of the law on the National Plan to prevent and combat cancer. The plan covers the period 2023 – 2030 and represents the main public policy document that underpins the measures in the field at the national level. The law stipulates that all citizens have the state-guaranteed right to medical, social and psychological support services such as: prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, care, including palliative care, psycho-oncology, onconutrition and oncofertility, social services and monthly food allowances. “These are remarkable advances of the medical science, they are state-of-the-art technologies that transform cancer into a disease that can be controlled. Romanians have the right to these innovations of the present”, said Klaus Iohannis.



    Winter season – 58% of Romanians say they will find it hard to pay their energy bills in the upcoming winter season, the same percentage estimating temperatures in their homes will be lower compared to previous years, a recent study reveals. According to the study, increased utility costs have caused changes in the Romanians consumption and purchasing behavior. Therefore, 55% of Romanians say they have stopped buying non-essential products. 40% of the respondents say the energy bills represent their biggest concern for the coming period.



    Moldova – The President of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian speaking population), Maia Sandu, received assurances, in Bucharest, of Romanias full support in the context of the energy crisis. On Tuesday, she met with the President Klaus Iohannis and the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, whom she thanked for their support and for the measures adopted by Romania regarding the facilitation of the supply of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil and firewood for Moldovan citizens. Furthermore, Maia Sandu thanked Romania for the reaction regarding the emergency compensation of the electricity deficit. We remind you that Bucharest urgently began to supply Moldova with electricity and natural gas, after Ukraine stopped exporting energy to Chisinau due to damaging of the power plants in the bombings of the Russian army.



    Russia – Russia announced on Wednesday that it reentered the Ukrainian grain exports agreement, after receiving “written guarantees” from Ukraine regarding the demilitarization of the maritime corridor used for their transport, AFP reports. Moscow suspended its participation in the grain deal on Saturday, citing a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian military ships in the port of Sevastopol in the annexed Crimea. According to Russia, in this attack, remote-controlled aerial and maritime drones moved through the secured corridor intended for ships carrying Ukrainian grain. On Monday, Moscow warned of the “danger” of continuing navigation without its consent and asked Ukraine to guarantee the security of the respective maritime corridor.



    Governemnt – In Wednesdays meeting, the Romanian government approved a draft law on the organization and functioning of the National Signaling Information System and Romanias participation in the Schengen Information System, which ensures harmonization with the standards in the field. On the other hand, the government expanded by 21 molecules the list of compensated and free medicines. These are destined for patients with oncological diseases, heart failure, Parkinsons disease, endocrine and metabolic diseases and chronic lung diseases. The updated list will enter into force on December 1.



    Constitutional Court – The Constitutional Court of Romania admitted, on Wednesday, the notification of the opposition Save Romania Union – USR in relation to the law that allows the construction of small hydropower plants in protected areas. USR invoked 11 arguments of unconstitutionality, including the violation of the principle of bicameralism, given that there are major differences in legal content between the form adopted by the Senate, as the first Chamber notified, and the form adopted by the Chamber of Deputies. USR also invoked the violation of the right to a healthy environment. At the beginning of the year, the Parliament, controlled by the government coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, adopted the bill which stipulates that hydropower plants in protected areas, with a more than 60% completion percentage, are considered of major public interest and national security and are to be put into operation by the end of 2025. (LS)

  • EU money for Romania’s infrastructure

    EU money for Romania’s infrastructure


    Romania is set to receive the first payments under the
    Recovery and Resilience Facility, intended for the country’s economic recovery. The European Commission has authorized
    the first disbursements in the grant and the loan components of the plan. The
    decision means EUR 2.6 bln coming Romania’s way.


    Bucharest had applied for
    these first payments in May, after meeting the 21 targets and milestones
    related to the 4th quarter of 2021. In September, the European
    Commission’s assessment of these targets was endorsed and forwarded to the
    Economic and Financial Committee, which also approved it.


    At the time, the
    president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the positive
    assessment had been prompted by good and quick progress in implementing the
    first set of reforms and investments under the Plan.


    This is a moment that
    confirms the government’s consolidated effort, which translated into the
    meeting of the targets and milestones undertaken by Romania for the last
    quarter of 2021 and into reforms of major importance for our country,ˮ the
    minister for European projects and investments, Marcel Boloş, said.
    Realistically speaking, it is only the beginning of a long road ahead of us,
    but one which, if key aspects in the Plan are completed, will result in
    boosting the economy and in generating a solid multiplier effect for
    investments in motorways, railway infrastructure, schools, hospital
    infrastructure and everything related to the strengthening of the Romanian
    economy,ˮ Marcel Boloş added.


    The next payment
    application will amount to a total EUR 3.2 bln, for which over 50 targets will
    have to be met, related to the first half of this year.


    Under the Recovery and
    Resilience Facility, Romania can benefit from nearly EUR 30 bln. For the
    implementation of its national plan, Bucharest has already cashed in 2
    pre-financing instalments totalling around EUR 3.8 bln.


    In related news, the
    minister for European projects and investments stated last week that he hoped
    the European Commission would endorse all the 8 regional operational programmes
    by November, which would be a turning point in that it would be for the first time that local
    authorities will make independent decisions on how to spend these EU funds. Marcel Boloș pointed out that half
    of the 8 programmes for the 2021-2027 financial cycle have been approved, and
    that they amount to a combined EUR 11 bln. The EU money for the regional
    programmes may be used up until 2030. (AMP)

  • August 9, 2022

    August 9, 2022

    BANK Romania’s Central Bank (BNR) has changed its
    inflation forecast for the end of this year to 13% and also estimates an
    inflation rate of 7.5% for the end of next year, shows a report presented today
    by the bank’s governor Mugur Isarescu. In May 2022, the bank forecast an
    inflation rate of 12.5% for this year and 6.7% for 2023. According to the National
    Institute for Statistics, the annual inflation rate stood at 15.1% in June this
    year from 14.5% the previous month. Last Friday, the bank’s board of directors
    decided to increase the policy interest rate to 5.5% a year from 4.75% starting
    August 8.








    TRADE Romania’s trade deficit went up to 15.44 billion
    euros in the first six months of the year, 4.74 billion higher than in the
    similar period last year, a report released by the National Institute for Statistics
    on Tuesday shows. According to the same sources, exports rose by 24% while imports
    went up by 28,5%. Romania’s exports and imports mainly consisted of machinery,
    transport equipment and other manufactured products.










    DROUGHT Roughly 243 thousand hectares of farmland in 30 Romanian counties have
    been affected by drought, the latest data released by the Ministry of
    Agriculture and Rural Development show. The surface affected has significantly grown
    since last week with many grain crops destroyed by the scorching weather.










    FESTIVAL The ‘Anonimul’ International Festival dedicated
    to indie film productions kicked off on Monday in the Danube Delta, southern
    Romania with ‘Mariupolis 2’ the last film by Lithuanian director Mantas
    Kvedaravicius, who was captured by the Russian army and killed in the Ukrainian
    region of Mariupol. The 19th edition of the festival includes two
    contests of Romanian and international short-reels. 12 titles are vying for a
    prize in the Romanian short-reel section, whereas 10 productions are to be
    screened in the international section. Another 13 film productions are to be presented
    during the festival whose winners will be decided by the public. The event also
    includes a series of round table talks between film lovers and filmmakers.








    PLAN The EU plan on the voluntary reduction of
    natural gas demand by 15% comes into effect today. Almost half of the community
    states have already been affected by reduced gas deliveries from Russia and
    most of them started to take measures to curb consumption and store gas for the
    winter season. Authorities in Germany, a country heavily relying on gas supplies
    decided that warm water should no longer be available in public institutions,
    while wells and parts of the public lighting have been shut down in several cities.
    Doors must be closed in air conditioned rooms in France while Greece has
    announced a 640 million Euro programme for renewing windows and air-conditioning
    in state institutions. Although Romania hasn’t announced a national strategy on
    reducing gas consumption yet, authorities here have recommended that citizens avoid
    excessive gas consumption.




    (bill)

  • May 23, 2022 UPDATE

    May 23, 2022 UPDATE

    ECONOMY Seven countries, including Romania, continue to
    experience imbalances, the European Commission announced on Monday, having
    assessed the existence of macroeconomic imbalances for the 12 Member States
    selected for in-depth reviews in the 2022 Alert Mechanism Report. The
    Commission points out that vulnerabilities in Romania’s economy relate to
    external accounts, linked to large fiscal deficits, and to competitiveness
    issues that are re-emerging. Large fiscal deficits pre-date the COVID-19 crisis
    and have driven up the current account deficit, which poses risks to external
    debt sustainability. Government debt increased significantly, although from
    moderate levels, sovereign borrowing costs kept growing, while bureaucracy and
    a volatile legislative framework will be a burden for investments, the
    Commission warns.


    RECOVERY The first payment request under the National Recovery and
    Resilience Plan, amounting to EUR 3 bln, will be submitted to the European
    Commission, PM Nicolae Ciucă announced on Monday. The money will finance
    projects in all the sections of the Plan and will impact several strategic
    sectors for Romania. PM Nicolae Ciuca appreciated the efforts of the
    institutions involved in the management of the RRP and asked for a steady pace
    in the efficient and high-quality implementation of the reforms and investment
    projects. This is an effort that must be carried on and extended in order for
    Romania to benefit from the EUR 30 bln available under the RRP for
    modernisation and development projects, Ciucă said.


    UKRAINE The number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human
    rights violations and persecutions has exceeded 100 million for the first time,
    as a result of the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts, shows a statement
    from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The figure is staggering,
    worrying and should have never been reached, said UN High Commissioner for
    Refugees Filippo Grandi. By the end of 2021, the number of displaced people had
    reached 90 million worldwide, due to new waves of violence or protracted
    conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria,
    Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On February 24, the Russian
    President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, throwing
    further millions of people into the streets to flee fighting and reach less
    exposed regions or other countries. Europe has not seen such a rapid inflow of
    refugees since the end of World War II, UNHCR points out. Nearly 6.5 million
    Ukrainians have left the country, mostly women and children, and the UN
    estimates that their number could exceed 8 million by the end of the year.


    CANNES The Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, competing at the Cannes Film
    Festival, hopes that his film ‘R.M.N.’, in which a village in Transylvania is
    like an explosive laboratory of populism, will open the eyes of Europeans to
    this evil that has been gnawing at them, AFP reports. Mungiu is in the race for
    a second Palme d’Or Prize, 15 years after his ‘4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days’.
    The film title, ‘R.M.N.’, refers to the medical term MRI – magnetic resonance
    imaging: Mungiu scans the underbelly of populism, an evil that has metastasized
    in a still traditional village, on the borders of Europe, AFP reports. ‘I hope
    that the public do not easily shy away from their responsibilities, do not
    think that this is happening in a remote, wild land. I’m afraid that’s not the
    case,’ said director Mungiu. The film takes place a few days before Christmas,
    in a village in Transylvania, where the Roma population disappeared, driven
    away by the inhabitants and the force of prejudice, and where the new ‘cursed
    people of the Earth’ appeared: Sri Lankan workers, brought to work at the local
    bakery after the Romanians went to work in the west. (AMP)

  • European plan for refugees

    European plan for refugees

    The European interior ministers, meeting in Brussels in a special Council meeting, on Monday approved a ten-point plan for a better coordination in relation to the Ukrainian refugees. The plan envisages the immediate creation of a temporary registration platform for those entering the Union, the development of refugee transport centers, the mapping of reception capacities in the Member States and the establishment of a needs index in each European country. At the same time, based on indications related to the danger of human trafficking, the European multidisciplinary platform against the threat of organized crime has been activated, and Europol supports the authorities of the EU countries in this field.



    According to European Commissioner Ylva Johansson, about 3.8 million people so far, mostly women, children, and old people have fled the Russian offensive in Ukraine. The number of daily arrivals in the European Union has decreased from 200 thousand, which was the peak of the refugee influx, to about 40 thousand, at present. Most people have chosen to take refuge in Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic, which is why Ms Ylva Johansson believes that refugees should be encouraged to also choose other European countries as their destinations.



    There are no allocation quotas, and, at the moment, the talks between the EU member states to take some of the burden off the shoulders of the states, including non-EU states, bordering Ukraine, are based solely on volunteering. Thus, France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have already offered to take over almost 15,000 refugees from the small and poor Republic of Moldova, overwhelmed by the huge influx of Ukrainians.



    Almost 600,000 people have entered Romania, which is also neighboring Ukraine, but most of them only to transit towards Western Europe. Against the background of the support actions undertaken by the Romanian State, on Monday, the Romanian Senate adopted an emergency ordinance that establishes the granting of humanitarian support and assistance to foreign citizens from Ukraine in special situations. The decision-making body in this case is the Chamber of Deputies.



    Meanwhile, European Commissioners continue to pay visits to Bucharest. Early this week, European Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, came to Bucharest to talk to the Romanian authorities about the integration of refugees on the labor market, in the school system, and also about social and health insurance. The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, requested, during his meeting with the European Commissioner, flexibility regarding the unused financial resources in the period 2014-2020, so that they can be used for the management of the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Actually, the European Commission intends to provide up to 17 billion Euros, part of which comes from unused budget funds in the above-mentioned financial year, for the countries that take over the most refugees. (LS)

  • Un plan européen pour les réfugiés

    Un plan européen pour les réfugiés

    Réunis lundi en Conseil extraordinaire à Bruxelles, les
    ministres de l’Intérieur de l’UE ont approuvé un plan pour une meilleure coordination
    de la gestion des réfugiés ukrainiens. Etalé sur 10 points, le plan prévoit la
    création immédiate d’une plate-forme pour l’enregistrement temporaire des
    personnes qui arrivent dans l’UE, de centres de transport pour les réfugiés, d’une
    carte des structures d’accueil dans les Etats-membres et d’une liste des
    nécessités à couvrir dans chaque pays. Parallèlement, sur toile de fond du risque
    élevé de traite de personnes, l’UE a lancé la plate-forme européenne pluridisciplinaire
    contre les menaces du crime organisé, alors qu’Europol offre son aide aux autorités
    des Etats-membres pour lutter contre ce phénomène.






    Selon la commissaire européenne aux Affaires intérieures,
    Ylva Johansson, jusqu’ici, environ 3 millions 800 mille personnes, notamment
    des femmes, des enfants et des personnes âgées, ont fui l’offensive russe en
    Ukraine. Après un pic de 200 000 personnes, le nombre des arrivées quotidiennes
    de réfugiés sur le territoire de l’UE a diminué à quelque 40 000. La plupart
    des gens fuyant la guerre se rendent en Pologne, suivie par l’Autriche et la
    République tchèque. C’est pourquoi, la commissaire estime qu’il faudrait encourager
    les réfugiés à opter pour d’autres pays européens aussi. Pour l’instant il n’y
    a pas de quotas de répartition des réfugiés et les discussions entre les différents
    Etats-membres sur les manières d’atténuer la charge des pays sis aux frontières
    de l’Ukraine, y compris des non-membres de l’UE, ne sont fondées que sur le
    bénévolat. Déjà, la France, l’Allemagne, l’Autriche et les Pays-Bas ont montré
    leur disponibilité d’accueillir environ 15 000 réfugiés se trouvant
    actuellement en République de Moldova, un petit pays plutôt pauvre, actuellement
    débordé par l’afflux d’Ukrainiens cherchant refuge.






    Voisine de l’Ukraine, la Roumanie a accueilli elle aussi
    près de 600 000 personnes, la plupart l’ayant transitée seulement avant de
    gagner d’autres destinations d’Europe occidentale.






    Bucarest a déjà mis en place plusieurs mesures pour venir
    en aide aux réfugiés. Parmi elles, un décret d’urgence adopté lundi par le
    Sénat roumain, qui vise à accorder du soutien et de l’assistance humanitaire
    aux ressortissants étrangers venus d’Ukraine et se trouvant dans des situations
    spéciales. C’est maintenant à la Chambre des députés de Bucarest de donner son
    avis final sur cet acte normatif.






    En attendant, les visites des commissaires européens en
    Roumanie s’enchaînent. En début de cette semaine, ce fut le tour du commissaire
    à l’Economie, Paolo Gentiloni, de s’entretenir avec les autorités roumaines sur
    l’intégration des réfugiés sur le marché du travail, dans le système éducationnel
    roumain, celui de la santé et celui de la sécurité sociale. De son côté, le président roumain, Klaus
    Iohannis, a demandé au responsable européen de la flexibilité en ce qui
    concerne les ressources communautaires financières que la Roumanie n’a pas utilisées
    entre 2014 et 2020, pour pouvoir s’en servir maintenant afin de gérer cette crise
    des réfugiés. D’ailleurs, la Commission européenne doit proposer un budget de
    17 milliards d’euros à utiliser par les Etats membres qui reçoivent le plus de
    réfugiés en provenance de l’Ukraine. (Trad. Valentina Beleavski)



  • Plan national de lutte contre le cancer

    Plan national de lutte contre le cancer

    La pandémie de coronavirus a fait des victimes collatérales en Roumanie aussi parmi les patients atteints de cancers, car de nombreux malades de COVID ont mis une pression trop grande sur le système de santé. La pandémie a retardé l’accès des patients atteints de cancer au diagnostic, au traitement, au suivi ou a mené à la perturbation du traitement de routine, réduisant ainsi les chances de guérison ou de survie. La Fédération des associations des patients atteints de cancer et la Coalition des organisations roumaines de patients atteints de maladies chroniques ont mis en garde contre ce danger et ont demandé que les patients souffrant de maladies chroniques et de maladies oncologiques aient accès au diagnostic, au suivi médical et au traitement. Les données officielles indiquent qu’en 2020, 88 % des patients atteints de cancer sont décédés et 25 % des patients atteints de maladies cardiovasculaires n’ont pas consulté de médecin du tout. Le président de la Fédération des associations de patients atteints de cancers, Cezar Irimia, a clairement indiqué que 2020 avait démontré que l’accès au diagnostic avait chuté de plus de 40 %.



    C’est pourquoi un Plan national de lutte contre le cancer était nécessaire ; il a été lancé mercredi à Bucarest en présence du président Klaus Iohannis. Il a déclaré que le plan fixe des « objectifs réalistes et mesurables », définit un trajet type pour le patient et met l’accent sur l’encouragement et le financement complémentaire des investigations médicales. « À partir du début de l’année prochaine, les programmes nationaux de dépistage de certains cancers devraient devenir pleinement opérationnels. La finalisation des critères censés permettre le remboursement des tests génétiques est également prévue en 2023 ; ils permettent de prescrire des traitements beaucoup mieux ciblés et avec des chances majeures de guérison », a ajouté le chef de l’Etat. Il a également annoncé qu’un fonds d’innovation en matière de santé devrait être réalisé entre 2023 et 2026, censé fournir aux patients roumains un accès rapide aux toutes dernières thérapies. Klaus Iohannis a souligné que le plan prévoit, pour la période 2023-2024, l’identification de solutions pour financer aussi les soins palliatifs, un moyen d’améliorer la qualité de vie tant du patient atteint de maladies oncologiques que de sa famille et de ses proches.



    Pour sa part, le ministre de la Santé Alexandru Rafila a déclaré que dans son mandat, il accorderait la priorité à la question du cancer, parce qu’il s’agit d’un problème de santé publique, qui touche 100 000 personnes par an dans ce pays, a-t-il dit. La Roumanie dispose actuellement d’un programme national de lutte contre le cancer financé par la Caisse nationale d’assurance maladie, par lequel certains traitements et analyses ainsi que plusieurs programmes de prévention sont remboursés. Un groupe de travail sur la lutte contre le cancer a également été créé au Parlement, visant la transposition en droit roumain du Plan européen lancé en février dernier et qui alloue 4 milliards d’euros pour financer des programmes de prévention, de recherche et de traitement au niveau de l’UE.


    (Trad. : Ligia)

  • 19/01/2022 (mise à jour)

    19/01/2022 (mise à jour)

    Covid en Roumanie – La Roumanie a rapporté ce mercredi 16 610 nouveaux cas de contamination au coronavirus dépistés en 24 h, ainsi que 58 décès, dont 2 antérieurs à la période de référence. Mardi, les unités de soins intensifs accueillaient près 500 malades de Covid, alors que le total des personnes infectées hospitalisées se montait à quelque 4 200. Actuellement, la moitié de la Roumanie est placée en zone rouge d’un point de vue épidémiologique. A Bucarest et dans le département limitrophe d’Ilfov, le taux d’incidence des infections a dépassé les 6 cas pour 1 000 habitants dépistés en 14 jours. Entre temps, la vaccination anti-Covid ne fait que ralentir. Au total, un peu plus de 8 millions de Roumains ont été immunisés avec au moins la première dose. La Roumanie a en fait le deuxième taux de vaccination le plus faible parmi les 27 Etats membres de l’UE.



    Grève — Une partie des enseignants roumains ont observé ce mercredi une grève d’avertissement de deux heures. Pendant ce temps, les élèves sont restés en classe sous la surveillance des professeurs, mais il n’y a pas eu d’activité didactique. Les syndicats de l’éducation nationale demandent au gouvernement d’accorder aux enseignants les salaires de base figurant dans une loi adoptée depuis déjà 2017 et d’allouer 6 % du PIB pour financer l’Education. Ils demandent aussi le paiement immédiat des primes auxquelles les enseignants ont droit et des heures supplémentaires. Ils disent aussi qu’il est urgent aussi d’accroître le nombre des postes disponibles dans le système d’éducation. Les syndicalistes de la Police et de l’Institut national de la statistique ont également organisé des protestations contre les politiques salariales du gouvernement. Détails après nos infos.



    Cancer — Le Plan national de lutte contre le cancer a été lancé ce mercredi à Bucarest, en présence du chef de l’Etat, Klaus Iohannis. Il a déclaré que le document fixe « des objectifs réalistes et mesurables », définit un trajet type du patient et met l’accent sur l’encouragement et le financement supplémentaire des investigations médicales. Il a donné quelques exemples de dispositions de ce Plan : des programmes nationaux de dépistage pour certains types de cancers, le remboursement des tests génétiques, suite auxquels des traitements bien mieux ciblés peuvent être prescrits, avec des chances majeures de survie, la réalisation d’un Registre national du cancer et le financement des soins palliatifs. L’année dernière, la Commission européenne lançait le Plan européen de lutte contre le cancer qui alloue 4 milliards d’euros pour financer des programmes de prévention, de recherche et de traitement du cancer au niveau de l’UE. La Roumanie dispose actuellement d’un Programme national de lutte contre le cancer à la Caisse nationale d’assurance maladie, par lequel une partie des traitements et des analyses des malades du cancer sont remboursés, auquel s’ajoutent des programmes de prévention.



    Gouvernement — Le gouvernement de Bucarest a introduit mercredi l’obligation pour les fournisseurs de recalculer et de corriger les factures d’énergie erronées, sans application des mécanismes de plafonnement et de compensation des coûts. Les fournisseurs de ce secteur ont 15 jours à leur disposition pour opérer les modifications nécessaires, sans pénalités, a annoncé le ministre de l’Energie, Virgil Popescu, à l’issue d’une réunion gouvernementale. Au cours de cette période, même un éventuel paiement de ces factures est suspendu. Il a ajouté que, pour prévenir de potentiels abus, les débranchements sont interdits pour la période de validité de l’Ordonnance d’urgence de plafonnement et de compensation des factures. Le gouvernement a également approuvé le mémorandum en vertu duquel la Roumanie pourra continuer à accorder de l’assistance technique et financière à la République de Moldova, dans plusieurs domaines, afin de soutenir son parcours européen. Il s’agit d’une aide financière non remboursable de 100 millions d’euros.



    Plagiat — Les procédures nécessaires ont été démarrées pour vérifier si les normes de qualité et d’éthique ont été respectées dans la thèse de doctorat du premier ministre roumain Nicolae Ciucă, a fait savoir l’Université nationale de défense Carol Ier de Bucarest. Intitulée « La dimension de l’engagement de l’Armée roumaine dans des opérations multinationales », la thèse a été présentée en 2003. C’est le premier ministre lui-même qui a demandé qu’une telle vérification soit faite, suite aux accusations de plagiat lancées à son encontre par la journaliste Emilia Şercan. Connue pour ses chasses aux plagiats, la journaliste a mis en lumière l’imposture académique de plusieurs personnalités politiques de Roumanie. Dans le cas de la thèse de doctorat du premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă, elle affirme que sur les 138 pages du document, au moins 42 pages sont plagiées et que la thèse dans son ensemble n’est pas le produit d’une recherche scientifique. De son côté, le chef du gouvernement rejette ces accusations et déclare avoir rédigé le texte conformément aux normes légales en vigueur en 2003. A noter que Nicolae Ciucă est le 3e chef de gouvernement de Roumanie à avoir été accusé de plagiat dans sa thèse de doctorat, après les sociaux-démocrates Victor Ponta et Mihai Tudose.



  • 05/01/2022 (mise à jour)

    05/01/2022 (mise à jour)

    Covid — Le Comité national pour les situations d’urgence a décidé ce mercredi de prolonger l’état d’alerte en Roumanie et de maintenir les restrictions sanitaires. Le port de masque chirurgical ou de type FFP2 redevient obligatoire pour tous les Roumains, aussi bien à l’extérieur, qu’à l’intérieur. Y font exception les enfants de moins de 5 ans, les salariés qui travaillent seuls dans les bureaux, les présentateurs de télévision et leurs invités, les représentants des cultes religieux et ceux qui prennent la parole dans des espaces ouverts ou clos, à condition de respecter une distanciation sociale de 3 mètres. La Roumanie a rapporté 4 893 nouveaux cas de contamination au coronavirus ces 24 dernières heures sur 63 000 tests effectués. L’incidence est à la hausse dans presque tous les départements du pays, y compris à Bucarest. Le taux de contamination au niveau national se monte actuellement à 0,67. Le Groupe de communication stratégique a annoncé aussi 30 décès supplémentaires en 24 heures dont 6 antérieurs à la période de référence. 409 patients positifs sont hospitalisés dans des unités de soins intensifs. Presque 8 millions de Roumains se sont fait vacciner au schéma complet, ce qui représente 40 % de la population éligible.



    Protestations — Des associations d’élèves de Roumanie ont annoncé qu’elles protesteraient, jeudi, devant le ministère de l’Education de Bucarest et qu’elles attaqueraient en justice l’ordre par lequel 730 000 d’entre eux ne toucheront plus de bourse du mérite. Le Conseil national des élèves condamne cette mesure et dit que le ministère a décidé de priver des dizaines de milliers d’enfants du droit à l’éducation. La moyenne pour la bourse du mérite a été élevée de 8,50/10 à 9,50/10 — un critère que les élèves qualifient d’inéquitable et d’inefficace. Leurs représentants demandent que les nouveaux critères d’octroi des bourses soient appliqués à partir de la prochaine année scolaire. Le ministre de tutelle, Sorin Cîmpeanu, a déclaré récemment que lorsque l’école a été en ligne en raison de l’épidémie de Covid-19, les notes ont connu des distorsions importantes, ce qui fait que 50 % des élèves roumains auraient dû toucher des bourses du mérite.



    Plan — Le porte-parole de l’exécutif de Bucarest, Dan Cărbunaru, a affirmé que lors de la réunion de mercredi du gouvernement, la possibilité de remplir par avance une partie des objectifs assumés dans le cadre du Plan national de relance et de résilience au premier trimestre de l’année en cours avait été évoquée. Il a répété qu’en 2021, 18 sur les 21 cibles et jalons à atteindre jusqu’à la fin de l’année dernière l’ont été. Il existe, a-t-il ajouté, trois domaines qui dépendent en ce moment de la réponse que les institutions européennes doivent donner en matière de financements, mais qui sont également solutionnés, du point de vue des engagements assumés par la Roumanie. La Roumanie a déjà reçu 1,9 milliards d’euros de subventions, sur un total de 29 milliards d’euros que Bruxelles alloue pour financer le Plan roumain. Un montant comparable au premier doit être versé à Bucarest dans quelques jours, a ajouté le porte-parole du gouvernement.



    Tennis — La joueuse de tennis roumaine Simona Halep (20e WTA) a vaincu ce mercredi l’Australienne Destanee Aiava (316e WTA), score 6-4, 6-2, au tournoi Melbourne Summer Set 1 qui se déroule en Australie. Au 2e tour du tournoi, elle jouera son prochain match contre sa compatriote Gabriela Ruse. Ce mercredi aussi, la joueuse de tennis roumaine Irina Begu et Nina Stojanovic (Serbie) se sont qualifiées dans les quarts de l’épreuve de double au tournoi de catégorie WTA 250 Melbourne Set 2 après un score de 7-6 (4), 6-4 contre le couple Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brésil)/Nuria Parrizas Diaz (Espagne). Dans les quarts de finale, les joueuses affronteront Aliona Bolsova (Espagne) et Katarzyna Kawa (Pologne). Les deux tournois Summer Set de Melbourne précédent l’Open d’Australie, prévu du 17 au 30 janvier.



    Handball — La sélection nationale masculine de handball de la Roumanie se prépare pour le tournoi préliminaire de qualifications au Championnat du monde, organisé à domicile, à Cluj-Napoca (nord-ouest). Du 7 au 9 janvier, les Roumains rencontreront les sélections d’Israël, de Chypre et de la République de Moldova, des adversaires considérés accessibles par la presse de spécialité. La semaine dernière, la Roumanie a joué, toujours à Cluj, deux matchs amicaux contre la sélection de la Turquie, gagnés par 26-24 et respectivement 35-25. Les matchs de préparation ont remplacé au programme des deux équipes une nouvelle édition du Trophée Carpaţi. Ce dernier a été annulé après que de nombreux joueurs des deux autres pays participants, la Suisse et l’Iran, ont été testés positifs au Covid. Le sélectionneur de la Roumanie est le célèbre entraîneur espagnol Xavi Pascual, qui a gagné trois fois la Ligue des champions avec Barcelone.